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Many
people question if they can pick out in person, see, touch, or play with the puppies
before they are ready to go to their forever homes at 8-12 weeks of age. The answer to the question
is NO. People usually do not understand the reason why we enforce
this rule at our kennels/boutique. I hope this blog post can help
families better understand.

There are several reasons why we do
not let anyone around the new puppies between birth and 12 weeks. The main reason and to me the most important is to
protect our adult dogs and the puppies. Below you will find not only details
as to why the answer is no but also information as to what you can do in
the mean time to prepare for your puppy if you have purchased from us.

First,
it is extremely
stressful for the mom to have strangers visit as she is caring for her
new litter. This in turn will put stress on the new born pups. Remember,
you are one of many people who are getting a
puppy, not including everyone else who “just wants to peek at or play
with the new
babies before they decide to purchase.” If we allow everyone to see,
touch, or spend time with the new
pups, the mom’s routine would be disrupted: her eating and caring for
pups and even her ability to produce enough healthy milk for them could
be at risk. We have also had moms stress and kill their new litters due
to anxiety and stress and adding in new faces and new smells can add on
to her anxiety and stress levels.

Like
a new baby, the opportunity for young pups to pick up infectious
diseases is increased with all new contacts. Their immune systems are
building, so at this time, the moms and pups live in whelping nests (Pack and Play pens/Birthing Nursery)
which have controlled temperatures and are separate from all outside
traffic. Most illnesses and diseases are innocently carried on people’s
shoes and clothing. (Parvo can live in the soil for over 30+ years) Entire litters of puppies can be wiped out within 48
hours by the puppy killer parvo
virus. This disease could be picked up unknowingly by people in a school
yard, a park, or on a sidewalk, and this is only one disease. We cannot
risk exposing our dogs and your puppy to diseases that could destroy
them.

Your puppy is not the only puppy. By protecting all of our puppies from
stress and disease that could be brought on by high traffic, we are protecting
your puppy. Just think about how you would feel if someone who just
wanted to see his or her pup or were just "shopping around for a puppy" happened to bring in stress or illness that
would cause us to lose a litter and you to lose your future puppy. We
have heard from many people that pet stores, other breeders, or other
kennels let clients visit puppies; the reality is that their number one
concern is selling a puppy. Also, will those people be there to support
you, replace the puppy, or guide you in the days, weeks, or years after
you get your puppy home? Are they willing and capable to help you with
training, breeding, behavioral, or health questions? Just because
someone allows you to see the puppy, it does not indicate the quality of
dog or of service you will receive throughout the puppy’s lifetime.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We take great care and
much time caring for all of our dogs and their puppies. It is time and
energy consuming. This is what we do best, so please let us do it. We
understand your excitement, and we are happy that you are enthusiastic
about getting your pup. But until you take your puppy home, we are
responsible and the puppy’s health and safety is our priority. I
guarantee you that in 8-12 weeks after the birth it will be well worth your
wait. You will reserve a well adjusted Healthy- Happy Puppy!

We
update photos every 2-3 weeks on a puppy litter calendar rotation
schedule. (Depending on how many litters we have at the time) We will
email them to the new families when it is time for your litter to be
updated. We like for our families to see their new family member growing
and getting ready to come to their new homes. (This is for families who
have reserved a puppy with a deposit) View our Deposit info on our FAQ
page. www.toysandteacups.com - We even do VIDEOS now! We are new at videos and usually post 1 video for each litter when they are around 5-8 weeks of age.

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Here at Alabama Toys and Teacups ( www.toysandteacups.com ) we offer a one year genetic health warranty with all of our puppies. (You can view our warranty on the website page: puppy forms) But we do require all new families/customers to get their puppy vet checked by their vet of choice within 48hrs from pick [...]